The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1887-02-15

II eSteruaN! john lett a> III he were
going mad. "Yesterlay"'-and he had
so trusted her. The room had grown
black and Il great sledge hammer was
beating i'm his brain, but he read on
upon what YOU said yesterday. but am az
last resolved. / will not see you again. Any
attempt to make me break this resolve viii b,
Ruthless. God knows that you have only your
self 10 blame that this marriage has
John stood for few moments as il
turned into stone. his face blanched,
his muscles tense. Then ray of hope
seemed To come To him. There is no
signature; it is not hers" He looked
again. How could hc doubt il? He
knew too well the turn of every letter.
He was alternately livid with rage and
choking with grief. His dream of hap
piness vanished. Something like a
curse came from between his closed
teeth. "She loves this man, and she
meets him and tells him -, and only
yesterday. Oh, ii is too horrible. too
horI'ibler' He hurled his face i'm his
hands and groaned. Il shall 80 away;
] shall never At that moment the
telephone bell rang. He took =" notice
of it. Il shall never Again il rang
long and loud What should hr dn?
There WAS no one else to answer il he
must 90. So hr said huskily. .'IIcIlo"
Mildred'S silvery voice replied:
"John. i that you?"
The situation was shocking. How
could he reply?- but there WAS no
time for reflection. He knew that the
central office would share all his conf
dences through that Internal piece of
black walnut and ebony. 80 ne said:
Yes"
why do you not come? Dinner is
waiting for You?
How well he knew the pretty inficx-
ions of that voice
81 wish no dinner am going away
-good-bye."
1t mi ght have been the conventional
telephone .'good-bye," or ii might con-
tain profoundcr meaning. The effect
al the other end of the line can not he
described. Ten minutes LATER Il cab
drove fuIiously up Ia the door of the
Apartment House, and Mildred. with
white face and fast beating heart.
rushed into the room. and would have
rushed into Johns arms if he had let
her.
You are going away" she said
brcathlcSSly.
You are Il very clever actress. said
that gentleman repelling her intended
embrace.
"A what?" said she. amazed. John,
whats the"
"a very clever actress. said he quite
as if she had not spoken, ''but here
after we will have more perfect un-
derstandin" and you need not trouble
yourself.
why. john" said She. have You
lost your senses?
NO: ON the contrary. have recov.
cred them. ] am mo- longer a dupr. !
WAS fool enough tn think vol"
John. for Gods sake tell me what
this means
''Oh. Mildred! Mildred.'' said he.
breaking down utterly. why did YOU
not tell ne like an honest woman that
You loved some one rl>e?''
John. YOU know. L"
Stop" said he. Stop! do not stain
your soul with more falSch0od.'
You need not have married me-"
went on the wrctchcd man. God
knows | wish You had not
She tried to put her arms about him
as he paced to and fro in rapid strides.
but he pushed her away angrily. No,
no more of that. That has lost its
charm.
Mildred burst into tears.
al nevcr-would III have believed
You would bc-So-Su-crurl. >nbbcd
she. '.What-have ! DONE
..Donc?" shouted the rNa>prrate,l
man. done? Why. YOU have spoiled
the life of an honest man. who dotted
on YOU. believed in you-Iike Il trusting
fool-who would have riskcd his life on
your honesty
stop. said Mildred. and she gath
cred herself up to fuller height than
johns eyes had ever before bcheld i'm
her. She too WAS angry now.
IF YOU have charges To make de- !
mand that they be definite, and not in
base innuendo. You are very x-ucl and |
also very insulting To me. | shall not |
remain in the house tonight; nor re-
turn TO it until You have apulogized."
And she swept from the room and from
Johns aStOnished sight.
A moment later hr hearrl the mcSSen-
ger call, then heard his wife give an
order for Il cab. then saw her packinga |
He intended doing the same
things himself. But somehow having |
her do them was infinitely harder To /
bear. Mildred was very angry. Not
"a tbinr ,f hi. - IN. SaiI ~ b,p-.lf - h. |